On this day in 1964, The Beatles made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show

As Beatlemania took hold of the world, the band were eager for more appearances, and they agreed to a spot on American variety show, The Ed Sullivan Show. The band arrived in New York for the first time on the 7th of February, where they were met by around 5,000 screaming fans.

Programmer CBS saw massive levels of anticipation for The Beatles’ appearance, with over 50,000 ticket requests flooding in for the performance, which was held at Studio 50, which could seat 728. Several celebrities joined the audience, including Richard Nixon’s daughters and an Olympic gold-medal winning speed skater.

Sullivan introduced the band with an anecdote of Elvis Presley and Colonel Tom Parker sending them a telegram wishing them success in the US before welcoming the group to the stage. The Beatles then performed “All My Loving”, “Till There Was You”, and “She Loves You”. 

Despite the band’s mixed reactions on the production value of their performances, the appearance is considered a milestone in American pop culture and in the group’s career.